Microelectrophoretic single-cell measurements with microfluidic devices

Here we describe in detail the design, fabrication and operation of our automated high-throughput single cell microchip electrophoresis device with laser induced fluorescence detection. Our device features on-board integrated peristaltic pumps that generate flow directly within the microfluidic channels. Additionally, we have incorporated an optical fiber bridge that enables simultaneous fluorescence detection at two points of interest within the device without the need for additional optical components or detectors. The second detection spot is used to detect the intact cell immediately prior to lysis giving a signal at t=0s for each single-cell electropherogram. We can also use this signal to measure the absolute migration time of the separated analytes to confidently determine the identity of each peak. Finally, we demonstrate the application of our device for the measurement of intracellular nitric oxide (NO) levels in T-lymphocytes. Changes in NO levels within cells is associated with a number of chronic diseases including neurodegenerative, cardiovascular and cancers. We show that our system is capable of measuring NO levels under the following conditions: native, lipopolysaccharide stimulation, and inhibition of inducible nitric oxide synthase. It is our hope that the information and procedures described in this chapter may enable others to use or adapt our system for other analyses at the single cell level.